Saturday, October 25, 2008

Here's a quick and easy to digest summary of the four (4) critical services you need to procure to ensure your website and other Internet content is worth the money you paid for it - and is providing absolute value to your business in these very difficult times.

Don't fall into the trap of doing one without the other, or hiring a service provider who claims to provide all 4 - but doesn't deliver.

Business MUST consider and execute on ALL 4 services, to be guaranteed some level of success. After reading below, contact KME Internet Marketing for more information.

This service provides the "front window" to your business, and helps keep and convert customers who find and come to your site.

Many companies focus ONLY on this, and while claiming to deliver the other 3 services below, quite often are ineffective in these other areas. Test this out - check out the Google Page Rank of the websites that web design companies have in their portfolio - more times than not, it's quite low.

This service actually delivers the "right" customers to your website and business, through many Internet channels including search, advertising, directories, social media and news/press releases or communications. This service also includes management of marketing and advertising campaigns, along with analysis and tracking of web traffic statistics and website use.

This MUST be done by experienced professionals, in parallel with web design/build efforts - without experienced service here, no one will ever see your great website, and your web design money will have been wasted. This includes Internet AND "offline" marketing coordination and experience.

(3) Northern Virginia Web Technology and Hosting - this includes the underlying technology and programming required to run your website, from the eCommerce or Shopping Cart applications your website uses to the underlying computer services, security and performance your website needs. It's the computer Hardware, Software and Operations/Maintenance (O&M) needed to successfully run a great website.

This MUST also be done by experienced professionals, in parallel with web design/build efforts. Very frequently, however, these services can be effectively "outsourced" to very reputable "hosting firms" (such as Aplus.net). What's extremely important, however, is that you retain professional advice and services for the #4 critical service, below.

An experienced Information Technology Manager should be retained or included (on a project or consultative basis) to plan, manage and coordinate the efforts of all website development, operations and marketing activities. The Technology Manager should be experienced with BOTH "Technical Project Management" (i.e. making sure the resources, schedule, services and financing are all aligned, for the project and with your other company activities), AND "Internet Technologies" (i.e. in-depth knowledge of the kinds of technologies and services being used, including their risks, standards and best practices).

This kind of experience is MOST OFTEN the "missing link" to a successful website, and great return on your Internet Technology and Marketing investment.